Electrical railway-signal.



No. 773,065. PATENTED OGT.25,1904.

' 4 J L DICKEY ELECTRICAL RAILWM; SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED AUG 29, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1- NO MODEL.

No'. 773,065. PATENT'ED OCT. 25,1904. J. IL.-DICKBY BLEGTRICAL RAILWAY SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 29, 1902.

N0 MODEL,

2 SHEETSfSHEET 2.

UNITED STATES.

Patented October 25, 1904.

JAMES L. DICKEY, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA,v A

ELECTRICAL RAILWAY-SIGNAL. f

, SPECIFICATION forming art of Letters Patent No. 773,065, dated ctoper 25, 1904;

A Application filed August 29, 1902. Serial No. 121,498. (No model.)

To a whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES L. DIOKEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Atlanta, in the county of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Electrical Railway-Signals, of which the following is a f'ulLclear, and exact description, such as will enable those skilled in'the art to which'it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

The invention has for its object: the provision of arailway-signal system whereby a series of signals can be operated along a particular section of railroad from either end of said section or from a distant point.

It consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figures 1 and 2, which are complements of each other, are diagrammatic views illustrati'ng a portion of a railway system embodying the invention. I

The drawings show ln-conventlonal form a section of railway track with the signals placed at intervals along the side of the same, together with the circuits and sources of electricity for operating the signals and the.

switches for controlling the circuits.

The line of railway is of the usual construction and for the purposes of this invention is divided into sections with a station A at each end of each -section. At each station is a source of electricity B, connected with the ground in the usual manner. A circuit C e) tends'along each sectionbetween the stations at the ends thereof. At eachend of the circuit C is a switch 0, by means of which the circuit can be controlled at either station. A branch wire C leads from the source of electricity at each station to the switch C, and also a second branch wire C leads from each switch to the ground. The normal position of the switch at each station is such as to conits ends.

nect the circuit C with the branch wires C at By moving the switch at either end to connect the circuit C with the branch C leading from the source of electricity,the

said main circuit C can be energized. At each station is an operators test and call signal C" of the usual construction, electrically connected with the main circuit Cand is operated by a current passing over thesaid main circuit.

, Placed at intervals along each section is a series of signals electrically operated by currents passing over the circuit C. These signals may consist of any of the well-known devices in common use, such as semaphores, fuses, They may be arranged in groups, as shown in the drawings, or they may be individual sigtorpedo-placing devices, light, &c. 6 5

nals and they may be as-numerous as the circumstances may require. Inthe present instance they consist of the torpedo-piacing arm D, operated by the magnet D and the fuse D and the semaphore D, operated by the weight D The latter is connected with the igniting device D for lighting the fuse and also is connected with the arm of the somaphore by the chain D Theweight is.nor mally held in an elevated position by the catch D When the magnet'D, which is energized by the current passing through the circuit C, moves the catch, the weight is dropped, thereby operating the igniting device to light the fuse and also moves the semaphore to an exposed position. When the currentis sent through the circuit C to energize the magnet D", it also energizes the magnet D to operate the torpedo-placing arm D. Ordinarily it is intended that the switch C I at each station for controlling its respective circuit (J is to be operated manually. Provision is also made for operating it from a distant point. A circuit E, connected with a suitable source of electricity, as at E leads from the distant point, where it is-controlled by a suitable switch to'the magnet E, located adjacent to the switch C, The magnet when energized by the current passing through the circuit E will move the switch 0' to close the circuit 0 through the branch wire 0 and therebyoperate the signals.

Intermediate of the ends of each section are auxiliary stations, from which a current may be sent through the circuit C to operate the signals. A branch circuit F leads from the circuitC to the source of electricity F, which is connected with the ground in the usual manner. The branch circuit is controlled by the switch F As the ends of the circuit C are normally grounded, by closing the branch circuit F by means of the switch F a current will be sent from the branch circuit through the main circuit C in both directions toward the ends of the main circuit, and thereby the signals will be operated.

The operation of the device is as follows: Normally the switches C are in such position as to connect the main circuit C at its ends with the branch wires (3,leading to the ground, and consequently the main circuit is free from current while so connected. By means of the test-and-call signal 6* it can be ascertained in the usual manner if the circuit is in working order. It is assumed that an occasion arises requiring the use of the system-for an instance, two trains enter a section on the same track from opposite directions and only one of them has the right of way. The operator at the station where the train passes that has not the right of way, which he will know by his orders from the train despatcher, will immediately throw the switch C at his station to connect the main circuit C with the branch wire leading from the source of electricity. This connection permits the. current to pass through the main circuit C to operate the signals. As the latter are placed at intervals along the section, some of them will be quickly observed or noticed by the trainmen of both trains and the latter can be stopped.

Under certain exigencies it may be desirable to operate the signals from a distant point. For an instance, the train despatcher may give to two trains going in opposite directions the right of way over the same section at the same time. The operators at the ends of the section not being notified to the contrary would permit both trains to pass onto the section. The train despatcher would probably discover this immediately that the trains passed onto the section and could signal to the trainmen on both trains by closing the circuit E. This would energize the magnet E, which would move the switch C to connect the wire C with the branch circuit This would operate the signals, as the circuit to a source of electricity would be completed.

When the occasion required, the signals could be operated at any one of the auxiliary stations placed intermediate of the ends of a section. By turning the switch F and closing the branch circuit F the current could be sent from the source of electricity F through the main circuit C in both directions from the branch circuit, as both ends of the main circircuit are normally connected with the branch wires leading to the ground. The passingol the current would operate the signals to warn any trains that might be on the section.

Other instances showing the application of the system might be referred to. The hereinbefore-deseribed embodiment of the inven tion is only one form of application. Others can be used which will also come within the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters latent, is

1. In a railway signal system, a line of railway divided into sections, a main circuit extending along each of said sections, signals placed at intervals along each 01 said sections and adapted to be operated by a current passing over said main circuit, a source of electricity, a branch wire leading from said source of electricity to said main circuit, a branch wire leading to the ground, a switch for connecting or disconnecting the main circuit with or from either of the branch wires, a n'iagnet for operating said switch, and a circuit leading from a distant point to energize said magnet.

2. In a railway signal system, a line of railway divided into sections, a main circuit extending along each of said sections, signals placed at intervals along each of said sections and adapted to be operated by a current passing over said main circuit, a source of electricity, a branch wire leading from said source of electricity to said main circuit, a branch wire leading to the ground, a switch normally connecting the main circuit with the branch wire leading to the ground and arranged so as to connect the main circuit with the branch wire leading from the source of electricity when said switch is moved to break the connection between the main circuit and the branch wire leading to the ground, a branch circuit intermediate of the ends of the main circuit and connected with the same, a source of electricity connected with said branch circuit, and a switch controlling said branch circuit.

3. In a railway signal system, a line of railway divided into sections, a main circuit extending along each of said sections, signals placed at intervals along each ol said sections and adapted to be operated by a current passing over said main circuit, a source of electricity, a branch wire leading from said source of electricity, a branch wire leading to the ground, a switch normally connecting the main circuit with the branch wire leading to the ground, a magnet for operating said switch to break the connection between the main circuit and the branch wire leading to the ground and to connect the main circuit with the branch wire leading from the source of electricity, and a circuit leading from a distant point for carrying a current to energize said magnet.

4. In a railway signal system, a line of rail- 5 ing over said main circuit, a source of electrlclty, a branch wire leading from sa1d source v of electricity to said main circuit, a branch wire leading to the ground, a switch normally connecting the main circuit with the branch IO Wire leading to the ground and arranged so as to connect the main circuit with the branch Wire leading from the source of electricity when said switch is moved to break the connection between the, main circuit and the branch wire leading to the ground, a branch circuit intermediate of the ends of the. main circuit andconnected with the same, a source of electricity connected with said branch circuit, and a switch controlling said branch circuit. i

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature inthe presence of two witnesses.

1 JAMES L. DICKEY.

Witnesses:

E. M. RoBERTs, S. L. J EFFERSEN; 

